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Lot Essay
Incense burners in the form of peacocks are very rare. They form part of a small group of cloisonné birds from the Qianlong period, mostly intended for use as incense burners, which are notable for their unusually naturalistic detailing and poses. See, for example, three cloisonné birds illustrated by B. Quette in Cloisonné, Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, New York, Paris and London, 2011, no. 105 (a magpie), no. 110 (a dove), and no. 111 (a rooster). Compare, also, a pair of nearly identical peacock-form censers from the Mandel Collection sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2012, lot 3909.
Peacocks were considered auspicious birds, and it is known that such birds were kept by the Qianlong Emperor in the palace grounds. A large hanging scroll entitled Qianlong guan kong que kai ping (‘Emperor Qianlong watching the Peacock in its pride’), dated to the cyclical wuyin year (1758), depicts a scene of the seated Emperor observing peacocks in the imperial gardens. See The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, Paintings of the Court Artists of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 194-195. The inscription on the painting recorded by the Emperor indicates that peacocks were sent as tributary gifts from foreign dignitaries. The Emperor further noted on the painting that when at leisure he took pleasure in watching these curious birds sway their bodies around the palace grounds; that he admired their beautiful feathers; and that, after five years of nurture, the birds had learned to fan their tails.
Peacocks were considered auspicious birds, and it is known that such birds were kept by the Qianlong Emperor in the palace grounds. A large hanging scroll entitled Qianlong guan kong que kai ping (‘Emperor Qianlong watching the Peacock in its pride’), dated to the cyclical wuyin year (1758), depicts a scene of the seated Emperor observing peacocks in the imperial gardens. See The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, Paintings of the Court Artists of the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 194-195. The inscription on the painting recorded by the Emperor indicates that peacocks were sent as tributary gifts from foreign dignitaries. The Emperor further noted on the painting that when at leisure he took pleasure in watching these curious birds sway their bodies around the palace grounds; that he admired their beautiful feathers; and that, after five years of nurture, the birds had learned to fan their tails.